The One That Got Away
by Alexxis T. Swan
Summary: She loved him. There was no doubt about it. He always left her but he always came back. Not this time though. Now she'd have to say that he was the one that got away. Warning: Spoilers till chapter 423.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would have made this pairing come true.

**Author's Note:** When I covered over a 100 chapters in a span of day, I got a lot of inspiration. I loved Rangiku x Gin from the very moment I saw their relationship. For the reason that I felt so terrible when it turned he was good (the bad guys I crush on _always_ end up being so) and he died but at the same time there was such breath-takingly painful beauty to the tragedy and it fascinated me to no end. I wonder how Tite Kubo creates such connections among fictional characters.

That made up my mind. Here's a tribute to a woman whose renowned beauty held no candle to her inner strength and the man who set out to protect her regardless of the cost. They deserved happiness.

**Pairing: **Rangiku x Gin

**Setting**: Follows canon mostly. Chapter 423.

* * *

><p><strong>The One That Got Away<strong>

**~.~**

You idiot. You big dumb idiot.

All I ever wanted was you. I didn't want revenge on Aizen and his thugs for what they did to me. It led you to me didn't it?

We were good together, I was happy when I was with you. All of a sudden existing mattered, I started caring- started _living_.

You left often, you never told me where or why but you always came back. And that was good enough for me. I had faith in you; that you would always come back, that you would never leave me alone. Then one day I saw you in Shinigami clothes. I couldn't understand why- why you'd want to join the Academy, why you'd leave me behind.

Now I do. It's been so many years since that day and yet until you were on your death bed you didn't admit it to me. Did you think that I wanted this? Revenge didn't matter. I wish you had told me back then so I could have stopped you.

You wanted to change things so I wouldn't have to cry anymore. I wonder if you knew that I've never cried about anything as much as I cried over you Gin. The days you were gone before I decided I was going to follow you, when we both became colleagues again seated officers but you acted like you barely knew me, after you betrayed soul society and I feared to meet you in battle (I knew only one of us would survive), when I found you half-dead.

You were the person I cared about most. All you had to do was stay with me. That would have been good enough Gin. I would have been happy for as long as I lived if I had you by my side.

You did it all for me. Maybe you did love me after all. I know I loved you. I wish I had told you but I couldn't. How could I tell you when you were always leaving me? I thought it wouldn't make a difference to you. You were always so mysterious in Seireitei I thought maybe I didn't know you as well as I once thought I did. The doubt only strengthened when you sided with Aizen.

I couldn't stop loving you- it didn't matter that you were the enemy. I just couldn't. I wanted to know why you did it, although it didn't matter much. If you really did hate soul reapers that much why did you join them? If you were such a monster why did you save me? If you wanted to leave so bad why didn't you take me with you? No I don't think I could have betrayed my comrades, even though now I know that wasn't your true goal, but I would have came Gin. Anywhere you wanted.

I've seen that loneliness in you but you refused my company when I tried to help you, always polite and in that endearing tone. That voice of yours- sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it.

You've pained me so much, but Aizen maimed me more when he took you away from me. It hurt more than wound I had ever received.

They say it is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. Maybe that's true. I wouldn't give up my memories of you for anything Gin.

You didn't leave behind anything for me to remember you by but that's alright. I won't forget you; I will always have a place in my heart for you. I know you'd want me to move on, to be happy and I will. I'll get stronger so the next time someone I love is in danger I'll be able to protect them.

If I had been strong you wouldn't have had to do any of this. But that's alright. The past is the past. I'm grateful for whatever we had together.

I bet Toshiro's worried about me. He's always worried about me when it comes to you.

You're gone, you're really gone. It took a while for that to sink in. Back at Karakura town when I held you as you lay dying on the ground, I felt so helpless. I didn't care what happened- to me, to the world. All I could think about was you.

You opened your eyes to look at Ichigo, then you closed them. I asked you to let me see them again one last time. You granted me my wish and touched my cheek and told me you were sorry. I kissed you even as your lips turned cold.

"I'm sorry too," I whispered, though they fell on your deaf ears. I am sorry that things didn't work out for us.

In another life, it'd be different. It'd be you and me against the world. I wouldn't let anything come between us. I would make you stay with me.

At least that way, I wouldn't have to say, that you were the one that got away.

**~.~**

* * *

><p><strong>I've always loved the idea of Gin x Rangiku and believed they deserved a happy ending. Too bad the best romances are tragedies. I think she's going to get stronger now.<strong>

**Reviews please!**

_~Alexxis T. Swan_


End file.
